Baker County commissioners and clerk spar as delayed audits trigger state sanctions threat

Baker County commissioners confronted a months‑long audit delay and a dispute with the Clerk of Court on April 1, after county officials said the county has not submitted its 2022–2023 audited financial statements on time and received a formal warning from state authorities.

At the start of the meeting Commissioner John Mobley read a March 31 letter from Stacy D. Harvey, Clerk of Court and Comptroller, that said the clerk would not permit other offices to perform the clerk’s constitutional finance and minute‑keeping duties and warned the board the clerk might seek court relief if county and clerk functions were not “brought in line with the clear requirements of our state constitution and laws.” The letter also demanded “control over the finance system” be delivered to the clerk’s office and said the clerk would no longer permit anyone else to keep the board’s minutes.

The board’s auditor liaison told commissioners that James Moore & Co. is testing federal (FEMA) items and expects to submit draft audited financial statements…